Method of illumination of theater seats



Patented Jan. 12, 1943 METHOD OF ILLUMINATION OF THEATER SEATS Henry E. Millson, Plainfield, N. 1., assignor to American Cyanamid Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maine No Drawing. Application August 10, 1940, *Serial No. 352,079

6 Claims.

This invention relates to theater seats for use in buildings Where semi-darkness is required and more particularly the application of fluorescent materials to such seats.

Modern theaters and especially motion picture houses. are subjected to semi-darkness during a performancein order that the screen or stage can be brilliantly illuminated without excessive projection of light. Patrons entering such dimly lighted theaters are-greatly inconvenienced because their eyes, accustomed to bright sunlight or illuminated streets and lobbies, cannot readily become adjusted to the darkness. Ordinarily ushers provided with flashlights direct them to aisles where there are empty seats but once the localized illumination of the flashlight is taken away, the patrons arehelpless and there is grave danger of tripping as well as general confusion in finding a seat. Attempts have been made heretoforea furnish local illumination such as equipping the seats with automatic signal lights, but this is a costly procedure and for the most part useful only to the ushers in determining the location of empty seats. On the other hand, if the seats were adequately illuminated so as to be easily distinguished by the entering patrons, or if the usher directed his flashlight along the row of seats to aid the new-comer, the audience would be extremely annoyed. Furthermore this would increase the effective brightness of the auditorium as a whole and more intense illumination of the screen or stage would be required.

The present invention is directed to the use of fluorescent materials on the backs or sides of seats which under the activation of ultraviolet light fiuoresce. These materials may be incorporated into transparent molded plastics and a strip applied to an edge of the theater seat, or the seat may be outlined or portions thereof painted with a fluorescent paint. A source of ultraviolet is so arranged as to direct radiation on such portions of the seat so that it is readily distinguishable to entering patrons but at the same time the illumination is insuflicient to detract from the focus of attention of the main audience. For example, when the front portion of the theater seat backrest or a portion of the seat itself is painted with a fluorescent paint and a source of ultraviolet directed thereon continuously from one or both sides, it is readily apparent when there is no occupant but when an individual is seated this slight illumination is obscured. Instead of applying fluorescent paint in the case of seats that are upholstered it has been found advantageous to incorporate fabrics which have been printed with fluorescent colors, or leather and similar materials painted with fluorescent paints, as the printed or painted surfaces exposed to constant wear are not permanent whereas the fabric into which dyed fluorescent yarns have been woven will continue to be serviceable over a long period of time.

Another modification of the present invention consists in fastening a strip of plastic having incorporated therein a fluorescent material on the front edge of a seat that is automatically raised when the occupant stands. up, so that when a source of ultraviolet radiation is directed thereonv along the row, the plastic strip fluoresces and shows the location of an empty seat. A further practical embodiment of the present invention isin the numbering of seats. It is oftentimes desirable to'have. the number of a seat clearly displayed so that once the show has started late-comers can find reserved seats. This is made possible by painting the number with a fluorescent paint or lacquer which under the action of ultraviolet would glow perceptibly, or fastening to the seats numbers made of a plastic material that contains fluorescent material.

The source of the ultraviolet light which is used in conjunction with the fluorescent materials is not critical and may be either from sources positioned along the row of seats which emit continuous radiations or ushers may be equipped with high powered flashlights from which substantially all visible radiation is screened off and only the ultraviolet is emitted. When the ultraviolet radiation from the beam of such a flashlight is directed along a row, the exposed fluorescent portions of any empty seat will fluoresce and yet the visible radiation is so negligible as to be barely perceptible by the seated audience. It is thus possible for the usher to fully direct an incoming patron whose eyes are not adjusted to the darkness of the theater interior to a reserved seat in the middle of a row, whereas heretofore either the patron was left to ascertain the exact location of the seat in the darkened row or the rest of the audience was greatly annoyed by the beam of the ushers flashlight crossing their line of vision.

The present invention is not limited to any particular fluorescent material nor to its incorporation in any particular medium, for as pointed out above, dyes, lacquers, paints, varnishes, synthetic plastics and the like may be used. Furthermore the local application of the fluorescent material to the seat is not critical but depending on the particular requirements of the theater may be on the back, sides, or edges of the seat.

The fluorescent materials employed in the present invention should not be confused with material.

taining fluorescent barium sulfide is applied to the front edge of a theater seat. When ultraviolet light is directed thereon the strip on the raised empty seat fluoresces stronglyin the visible spectrum.

Example 4 Identifying numbers for a theater seat are out from a plastic material containing a fluorescent When these are applied to the seat and ultraviolet radiation directed thereon, the

the use of self-luminous materials such as those containing radioactive substances. These glow in th dark only faintly and would not be practically useful for aiding incoming patrons whose eyes have not yet regenerated a sufficient concentration of visual purple to see clearly in the dark. In fact any luminosity of the radioactive substances would not be apparent at all until the eyes are fully adjusted to the dark and hence no advantage would be gained in employing such materials. The present invention however, consists in a combination of fluorescent materials applied to theater seats and sources of ultraviolet light so arranged that in a darkened auditorium empty seats are clearly distinguished by their fluorescence.

The invention will be described in conjunction with the following specific examples which constitute typical illustrations but are not in any way intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Example 1 An upholstery for theater seats is prepared by weaving therein yarn dyed with Rhodamine B (C. I. No. 749) which, under the ultraviolet radiation, fluoresces.

Example 2 Fluorescent zinc sulfide is incorporated into a paint which is applied to the front portion of the backrest of a theater seat or the seat itself which fluoresces when activated by ultraviolet radiation.

Example 3,

A strip of a transparent molded plastic connumbers fluoresce.

What I claim is:

1. An arrangement comprising in combination a theater seat portions of which have incorporated thereon a fluorescent material which fluoresces. strongly in the visible spectrum and a with strips of fluorescent plastic material which,

fiuoresce strongly in the visible spectrum and a source of ultraviolet radiation directed on such strips.

5. An arrangement comprising in combination a theater seat portions of the upholstery of which are dyed with a fluorescent dye which fluoresces strongly in the visible spectrum and a source of ultraviolet radiation directed on said upholstery.

6. A theater seat portions of which have incorporated thereon a fluorescent material which fluoresces strongly in the visible spectrum.

HENRY E. MILLsQN. 

